Quote:
Originally Posted by Stealhead
Well the Hellfire has a limited range about 6 miles the 105mm of course exceeds that. An Apache is typically only going to have ten to fifteen of loiter before its bingo fuel or when its Winchester (out of ammo). Then it'll have to fly back and get rearmed and refuled. Therefore an enemy can simply choose to disengage when they know the Apache is present and then reengage when it leaves. The Taliban became very skilled at this.
Not sure what the Specter has but surely it is on par and more than likely superior to the Apaches optics and guidance. Of course the Apache is really designed to fight a technicaly equal enemy force originally being destined to destroy Soviet AFVs get rearmed rinse wash repeat. The Specter is more focused on support of special forces. So it brings the pain when a smaller force is in trouble. Though a single Specter back in 2004 pretty much by itself kept enemy forces in Fullujah from over running Marine positions.
I'd say that the Apache is a scapel the AC-130 is a sledge hammer. As you said. Hellfire is a good tank\AFV killer and they did make thermoberic versions though not ideal for antipersonnel.
A change for the Apache is soon it will have to scout and hunt as the Kiowa will be retired it had a better optics system. The D and new E (which is a D with improved power or in effect the American version of the Westland Apache) the D was unable to carry the mast mounted radar in Iraq or Afghanistan while the Westland version did UK and NL).
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Fully agree, especially when it comes to the scalpel vs sledgehammer comparison. In something like actions in Afghanistan and Iraq you don't really need scalpels, you need sledgehammers, using scalpels is not cost effective and the Apache, as good as it is, is not in an area that it was designed for. The Spectre, being a descendent of Spooky (which I misidentified in my last post, saying Spooky instead of Spectre...sorry about that) is ideal for operations in Afghanistan, as the Spooky was in Vietnam.
I didn't realise that the Kiowa was being retired though, that's going to make things difficult for the Apache, the Kiowa/Apache team was ideal in the sort of warfare we face now, just as the Littlebird/Cobra team did well in Vietnam. So that's not good, although at least the Apache is getting some upgrades in the near future, and it's nice to see that the engine upgrade we put in is going to be rolled out to the US Apaches too. Reminds me of the P-51.
But the Kiowa had a damn good optics system that was well placed like the Longbow radar, and unless the E includes something like that, it's going to force the Apache to rely solely on the radar which is useful against armour and the like, but pretty useless against infantry.
